A man tries to escape from a balcony at the Intercontinental Hotel during an attack by gunmen in Kabul, Afghanistan on Jan. 21. The assault by the Taliban killed at least 18 people, including 14 foreigners, and pinned security forces down for more than 13 hours before the last attacker was killed on Sunday, with the casualty toll expected to rise.
Vice President Mike Pence places his hand on the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City on Jan. 23, as he wrapped up a four-day trip to the Mideast that ended with Palestinians still fuming over the Trump administration's decision to recognize the city as Israel's capital.
Orthodox Christian pilgrims perform a baptism on Epiphany at the Qasr al Yahud site along the Jordan River near the West Bank city of Jericho, West Bank, on Jan. 18. The major holiday in Orthodox Christianity marks the baptism of Jesus. In Orthodox tradition, water blessed by a priest during Epiphany week is considered holy and pure, and believers attribute healing powers to it.
A girl looks out of the window of a car to look as Turkish army tanks and soldiers gather close to the Syrian border at Hassa on Jan. 21. Turkey has vowed to expand its operation against Syrian Kurdish forces, known as the People's Defense Units or YPG, to other areas along the border. Ankara views the YPG as a major threat because of its links to Kurdish insurgents in Turkey.
